Sorry, I totally skipped over your post about the ladies! I was very excited for Akiko! I think it's a great confidence booster for her going into the Olympics. I'm not sure what exactly happened with Mao but I was quite surprised. My guess is she didn't land her 3A and made some more errors. Japan definitely has a strong team with the men and ladies.

Mao has been very consistent this season and the judges seem to like her programs. It's so hard to know between her and Yu-Na when I haven't seen Yu-Na's programs and have no idea what the judges even think of it. I know with this new system, getting the program seen multiple times can be very beneficial to the skater so they can work out kinks, see where they are losing points and how to earn the highest level on all the elements. I can't imagine and Yu-Na has had much feedback from judges. They go back and forth that I think either of them could win, it just depends which version of themselves show up

On that note, I'll be off because I'm at my parent's house for Christmas and we have a full day planned. I hope you and your family have a great Christmas

BIG NEWS: Plushenko announced he WON'T be competing in the singles event in Sochi!!! He plans on participating in the team event though. He blames his lingering injury. Can you tell I'm not surprised Assuming one of the spots on the podium is going to Patrick, the other 2 medals are pretty open. I can foresee 5-6 guys competing for those spots. Of course, that depends on which version of them show up Anyway, we'll see if Plushenko bails on the team event later on or not.

Oh yeah, it was time for him to retire 4 years ago! He's 31 but man it seems like he should be so much older I think that's a sure sign and you've overstayed your welcome!

I forgot to post that Carolina Kostner withdrew from Italian Nats due to injury and Valentina Marchei won her 5th National title. Marchei also joined the Italian Air Force!! Cappellini and Lanotte won in ice dance & Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek won pairs. I had no idea who any of the men were but apparently, there's some controversy over who Italy will be sending to Sochi. Here's a blurb from the article:

Confusion, controversy marks men's event

Former Russian competitor Ivan Righini, who had competed for Russia as Ivan Bariev until the fall of 2012, won the men's event with 199.49 points. Righini has an Italian father and a Russian mother, and when his parents split, he grew up in Russia with his mother, taking her family's name. Recently, he adopted his Italian father's name. In Merano, he said the Figure Skating Federation of Russia had released him and he has all of the papers, including an Italian passport, to compete for Italy.

Paul Bonifacio Parkinson, who trains in Colorado Springs, was second with 194.82 points. Former champion Paolo Bacchini was third with 178.05 points.

There is controversy about which man Italy will send to Europeans and Olympics, having only one spot for each of these events. The federation had earlier announced that only the free program points of the two best international competitions and of Italian nationals will count. Having won 15 more points at nationals than Righini, Parkinson is first on this ranking list. Bonifacio's coach, Tom Zakrajsek, accompanied him to Italy and said the federation will stick with the qualification system it announced, and Bonifacio will be sent to Sochi.

"Remember, he is the one who earned Italy's Olympic spot at Nebelhorn Trophy in September," Zakrajsek said.

However, Righini said he thought that total competition points, which include the short program, would count, and according to these points, he is first and should be nominated. The Italian federation plans to decide which man to send to Europeans and Olympics in January.

Sounds like a big mess to me. Not that this will have any effect on the men's event in Sochi but still, looks like there needs to be some kind of clarification on what the Italian federation and the ISU requires to compete.

I would think so. She has a couple of more weeks to heal. It didn't really say it was an injury, just a bad back so whatever that's supposed to mean. Maybe she just needs some rest and will be better in time for Euros. I honestly, can't see her NOT being named to the Olympic team.

Hmm, well this should be interesting. I thought Italy got to send 2 ladies but, Valentina finished 18th and she would have had to finish no lower than 11th to qualify 2 ladies since Carolina won silver.

You know, learning about how all the countries make their decisions, surely they don't make them lightly. It's fairly easy for the USFSA to figure out who they are sending. We will always send our National champs but other countries don't work that way.They take many other factors into consideration.

I have to work the whole Natls. weekend. Have to record and watch later. I still have to check when they're going to show what, though. I don't suppose there's any hope of them showing short programs, except maybe the leader after the short?

Bummer about work. I have a feeling that's EXACTLY what they do. They won't bother with the short programs except for the leaders and maybe (a big maybe) a few others. I'm assuming the ladies will be the only discipline shown live.

On Saturday, they're showing stuff 12-3 in the afternoon, and 8-11 in the evening. Then more on Sunday afternoon. I will be home for the first hour or 2 in the afternoon both days, then I will be home in plenty of time for the evening showing. I don't think that could be live, since Boston is 3 hours ahead of me, but it might be shown live for you.

I wish CBC would show Canadian Natls., but CTV always seems to get that and Skate Canada. I only want to see the ice dancing, anyway. We all know who's going to win for the men.

I just checked TV guide.com for what they're showing when. It's pair's & dance final in the afternoon, and it says Live. That's 12-3 here, which is 36 in Boston. Sounds somewhat reasonable. Maybe the pairs won't be live but the ice dancing probably will. Because who cares about the pairs, anyway?

From 8-11pm, it doesn't actually say what they're showing. But since on Sunday they say Men's final, 12-2, I would say that the ladies' event will be on Sat. night. That's the event they like to show at primetime. And if it's 3 hours, they might even show some short programs! Or they'll show a gazillion girls we've (or I've) never heard of. Or both.

I'm rooting for Madison & Zachary for the bronze medal in ice dancing. Assuming the Shibutanis get silver... but they only got 3rd last year, didn't they? Still, I hope Madison & Zachary make it. I like Madison & Evan okay, but I don't care for their free dance this year, to the Les Miserables soundtrack. The British commentator on CBC says the singing is too noisy and distracting, and I strongly agree. It is very noisy, which is actually what I thought when the cast of the movie sang the song on the Academy awards. It was a huge clamor of mediocre voices. LOL Plus, it annoys me that it's the tune of I Dreamed a Dream, but it's not IDAD.

Anyway... I'm excited for the Natls!! But I just wish I didn't have to work!

I'm kind of hoping the evening broadcast on Saturday will include a few men's short programs too, but probably only if somebody (hopefully Jeremy Abbott) does really well. I really hope he can win once more before he's done. My other choice for the Olympic team is Adam Rippon, as I've probably already mentioned.

Jeremy and Adam would be my choices too. No offense to the rest of our men, the Jeremy and Adam have the most experience internationally and I think they would handle the Olympic pressure better. Especially for Jeremy since this would be his 2nd Olympics. I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed!!

Ashley Wagner is in 4th place!! She'd better get her act together if she wants to go to the Olympics! Hopefully USFS would allow her to go anyway, but still... not a good way to start. Gracie Gold is in 1st, Polina Edmonds (who on earth is that??) is 2nd, and Mirai is 3rd. Happy for Mirai at least, not Ashley.

Marissa & Simon are 1st ... I think they won actually. Aren't Cady & John in it?

Not so sure I'm looking forward to the men's now. I might as well prepare myself for a major disappointment.

Now you see why I like ice dancing so much? There's barely any chance for anybody to screw up. If they don't do well, it's because their training isn't good enough, not because they lose confidence and fall.

I'm a bit worried about Ashley but nothing is for certain. Mirai hasn't been as consistent lately and Polina will have a lot of pressure on her. I think Ashley works better under pressure. Polina's been around for awhile but this may be her first senior nationals, but I could be wrong.

Oh, and you don't have to fear the men. Jeremy KILLED it in the SP and set a new Nationals record. He has a 7 point lead going into the FS. I am disappointed about Adam though. I sure hope he can step it up in the free and skate his heart out. Of course, if he doesn't make the Olympic team, at least we know he can try again for 2018, keeping our fingers crossed he will stay that long.

Okay, okay, I feel much better about Jeremy now! I seriously hope he can keep it up for the Olympics, though. He needs to just do whatever he did in Boston to do well. I'm sure he knows this by now, but I think he just needs to just relax and focus on performing to the music, because otherwise he'll be thinking about his jumping too much. I'm also very pleased with Jason Brown. He was great, and I do enjoy his program. I am disappointed about Adam, but I'm nowhere near as crazy about him as with Jeremy, so I'm really not crying over him (not that I ever cry over anybody ). I was impressed with the way Jason was entering into all his jumps. I know the others do that sort of thing too, but it seemed like he was doing it more than others. Adam made a very beautiful pose before one of his in the short program, but a lot of good that did him.

I'm very annoyed that they left Mirai off the team. I do not care for Polina much at all, I'm sorry. Putting her on the Olympic team right from her first senior Nationals, and leaving out someone who just barely missed the Olympic podium last time is just aggravating to me.

I like the pairs' and ice dancing teams much better, though I am disappointed that Madison & Zachary didn't make it. Well, maybe they'll go to 4 continents and get a medal. When is the 4CC's anyway?